Nero Express

You're grabbing your morning flat white before the office rush, or ducking out of a meeting for a proper coffee that doesn't taste like it's been sitting in a machine for three hours. This Nero Express sits right in Crossrail Place, the glass-and-steel development that's quietly become one of Canary Wharf's better spots for actually lingering. It's the Express format—so no seating faff—but they're not cutting corners on the espresso. Expect decent latte art, fresh pastries that don't taste cardboard, and a queue of other people who refuse to compromise on their caffeine before noon. It's efficient, unpretentious, and does exactly what it says on the tin.